After Hurricane Helene tore through hundreds of homes throughout Western North Carolina in September 2024, contractors from out of state descended on the area. Many were reputable, but some were not.

Soon, stories started circulating about contractors taking cash for repair projects without a signed contract in place, then leaving town, never to be heard from again.

Parks PR worked with the Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains to quickly create and drive an awareness campaign designed to help residents avoid such rip-offs. Within a week of the storm, we started doing everything from writing contributed content and blog posts, to filming and sharing videos, to generating news media coverage.

Keys to success for the campaign:

• Having relationships with Asheville-area news outlets before the storm was critical, helping us quickly break through the clutter in reaching key reporters, producers and editors.
• Using compelling stories to get people’s attention, we followed those anecdotes with straightforward advice on how to avoid being a victim.
• Working closely with Megan Carroll, Executive Officer of BABRM, we leveraged her communications skills to make her available for on-the-fly news interviews with local, regional and national outlets.

The initiative was honored by the National Association of Homebuilders as Best Public Relations Program for 2024. The national award was one of five won by the Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains, as its work ranged from organizing relief efforts after the storm to providing help to its members.

The Builders Association continues to focus on recovery – Asheville’s comeback has been difficult – and Parks PR is proud to be part of its impactful work.